On the 20th of April, we celebrate the birthday of Catalan painter Joan Miró i Ferrà. Born in the historic Barri Gòtic neighbourhood of Barcelona in 1893, Miró left his mark on the artistic world with his intriguing Surrealist paintings, borrowing from Fauvism and Expressionism with a personal twist. Notably, Miró was fascinated by the subconscious mind, and harboured a deep distrust of conventional painting, viewing it as a tool of the wealthy used to project power and cultural identity.
His move to Paris in 1920 proved formative, bringing him into contact with Pablo Picasso, who became both a friend and an informal champion pointing collectors and dealers in Miró’s direction. Yet Miró was never content to stay within painting alone. From the early 1930s he began experimenting with sculpture, incorporating found objects and painted stones, and by the 1960s it had become a central focus of his practice.
Below, we’ve picked three of Miró’s paintings that demonstrate why, over a century later, his works are still well worth losing yourself in.
1. Morning Star, 1940
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2. Women and Birds at Sunrise, 1946
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3. Triptych Blue II/III, 1961
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